Luxury and speed make for a wickedly good sport

Originally published: January 5, 2012

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This past summer, I had the pleasure of cruising top-down in BMW’s 650i Cabriolet. It was a delightful ride that keyed on sporting comfort. The new Coupe is the Cab’s Mr. Hyde — a formidable sports car that actively urges the driver to take liberties. It’s not any single facet that makes the car, it is the manner in which it all comes together.

Power for the Coupe comes from BMW’s oh-so-sweet 4.4-litre V8 and a pair of turbochargers. The ram effect of the intercooled air brings 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm. This low entry point means there is no lag and, with the turbos blowing a gale, the twisting power stays with the program through 4,500 rpm, which is where the stallions begin to stretch their long legs. The eight-speed manumatic then stretches out the sweetness over a very broad range. The first six gears key on performance; the top two are overdrives. The latter ease the engine’s thirst and bring relaxed highway cruising.

From here, power is fed to the road through the xDrive all-wheel-drive system. Under normal driving situations, 40% of the power is sent to the front wheels, the remainder to the rear. When needed, it can adopt an even 50/50 split. The beauty of the setup is a rear-drive feel without the tendency for the back end to snap out of line anywhere near as frequently as so many mega-horsepower rear-drivers. This brings remarkable civility to a large, heavy car.

Even when the gas pedal is hammered from a standstill, the 650i just picks up its exaggerated side sills and sprints forth with alarming alacrity. It takes a scant 4.9 seconds to flash through 100 kilometres an hour and on to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (I did not test the latter). Likewise, when it’s time to pass a slower vehicle, the 3.2-second 80-to-120-km/h time means there is no white-knuckling involved. The unspoken benefit is the power plateau, which is such that the transmission rarely needs to kick down. When it does, it drops a cog or three in an instant. The combination works in complete harmony.

Ditto the chassis and suspension. The 650i features BMW’s dynamic damper control and adaptive drive. The former monitors wheel movement 400 times a second and adjusts the shocks accordingly; the latter employs active anti-roll bars. Varying the roll bar tension dials out all body roll and the usual vices. Throw in a delightfully precise steering setup and the optional P245/35R20 front and P275/30R20 rear tires, and getting the big coupe to come unglued takes some seriously ham-fisted sawing at the steering wheel. The driver basically has to screw up monumentally before the electronic stability control system steps in to right the wrong.

The driver can also tailor the 650i to the drive through the four-mode dynamic drive control system. The Comfort+ and Comfort modes are best for prowling suburbia — the suspension is soft and the throttle is relaxed. The sport mode brings more enthusiasm to the drive and allows the driver to sharpen the suspension, powertrain or both. Pick the latter. Then there is the Sport+ mode. It brings yet more urgency to the drive and engages the dynamic traction control system, which allows the car to drift much farther before it reins in the fun.

If you are lucky enough to have the coin the Coupe commands, the M Sport Package is mandatory. It’s not so much the body kit and upsized wheel/tire package, nor is it the LED fog lights (all of which add much more machismo to the look), but, rather, it’s the sport exhaust system that adds the defining touch — an angry snarl to an already intoxicating note. When driven slowly, the tonal quality reaches a burbling roar just as the transmission upshifts. Stand on the gas and the basso profundo spurs the driver onward as a silly grin grows in proportion to the music the exhaust elicits. A buddy of mine was so enraptured by the sound, it’s now his ring tone — and they call me Gear Head!

Inside, the 650i is richly attired. The leather is both soft and full, lovingly wrapping the instrument panel. The heated/cooled seats are fully articulated and supremely comfortable, and the driving position is just about perfect. The tester also arrived with a bewildering array of electronics — high beam assistant, head-up display, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, night vision, adaptive cruise control with stop and go and no fewer than six cameras. These things allow the driver to poke the Coupe’s long nose blindly out of a driveway and see to the left and right. They also provide the usual backup camera and an around-car view that shows all four sides. With the exception of the head-up display and blind spot monitoring, I found most to be surplus. However, the optional Bang and Olufsen sound system definitely doesn’t fall into that category! The clarity of its sound is flawless, even when cranked to ear-splitting levels.

Yes, the 650i Coupe is expensive and its 2+2 format will not suit someone with family commitments, but, as a sports car, it is exceptional. It is wickedly fast when it needs to be, yet is also a wonderful boulevardier when that’s the order of the day. Make mine Vermillion red with the matching extended Nappa leather interior and M package.